but that's not neccessarily a bad thing. Better lyrics than usual in some places and some solid tunes. One or two dudds but more consistent than their other LP's; lacking the odd high point but no real troughs either.

It'll work nicely in the summer. Hopefully they'll get more freedom on the next un and make something really weird.

but I'm not sure if I'd call some of what I've heard (Now I'm Everyone for example) good pop-rock. I realise this'd probably be different in the context of the album, and Get Fucked Stud sounded pretty good.

I loved it up until 'Folding Stars', but that song nearly put me off the whole album. What the fuck?? It's horrible. But then 'Machines' pulled it back. It's a good album, I'm sure it'll grow on me a bit more and I like it more than I liked Infinity Land after the first listen...

It's lacking hugely in the thing which made Biffy great in the first place though, the random guitar fuckery with added screaming. It's getting a cautious thumbs-up for now.

but I'd say "they're starting to sound like Feeder 'on the occasional song'".

I think Folding Stars has been deliberately put between Get Fucked, Stud and 9/15ths to kind of soften the blow of the sub-Snow Patrol MOR soft-rock hit to the fans who like them for Bodies In Flight. Like "yeah, we know this one sucks but listen to THIS and THIS, we've still got it, honest!"

the rest of the album is FUCKING BRILLIANT softens the blow <several listens on from my above post>. The Conversation Is..., the soft screamy bit at the end of As Dust Dances, the drums on Love Has A Diameter etc etc... I'm fully converted

it finally hit home for me when i was walking to the library with it on full volume in my earphones, really fucking great album. It's more straightforward, and the songs that sucked live still suck, but for TUUUNES like The Conversation Is..., 9/15th's and Get Fucked Stud they can't fail.

if you're buying it anyway. People say "ziff y'can't wait 2 weeks", but why not get it early? Out of some loyalty to the band? It'll make one hundred percent no difference to them, so why not? The fact that this release kept getting pushed back made my mind up.

to delete Folding Stars. I dislike it and it ruins the flow of the album, it's meant to be getting grimmer till "machines" and FS is sugar pop.

I also did this with "session singer in a soul band" or whatever it was off Bright Eyes last album. It works a treat. You're listening along and think "fuck, I need to skip the next one" and it never comes.

But the sentiment isn't what I had a problem with, if you read what I said, you'd see that the sentiment actually quite enticed me. I really expected a delicate song, a la 'Machines', which I think is a classic.

I'm certain Folding Stars is sincere, but I was just trying to explain why it lost some credibility with me. And yes, I have lost very close people, I suppose to you that means I am *capable* of understanding why he might be upset.

I'm a massive fan of the first three and I thought I would think this one will definitely be the worst. I now feel very wrong. It's nowhere near as good as vertigo of bliss, but it's very different, almost like a different band. Easily accessible on the first listen and has grown on me each one after. A lot of people are going to hate this, there's pretty much no screaming at all, nearly no spazzy mental weird bits (9/15ths is a bit weird though). I STILL don't understand the Foo Fighters comparison though. I think one person said it and about 5 million people who have probably only ever heard "that song on mtv2 once" just agreed.

I'd like to fully retract what I said above about it sucking because it quite clearly doesn't. I think if it had been some dark gloomy acoustic ballad with those lyrics it would have been way too much, but dressing them up in this blast of powerpop-rock turns it into something else.
My only complaint about it now is it feels a bit restrained in the chorus, when he sings 'it's not getting easier'... he should really have let rip there.

The first track off this that I listened to once I downloaded it was Folding Stars, purely because of the reaction it got on here, and I think it's beautiful. Definitely their most affecting song since Diary Of Always.

Ah well. Elitism will get you nowhere. If I wanted to, I could chuckle all over your Jay-Z and The View being 10/10s, because my music taste is pretty fucking superior. Give the bands I wank over now, ten years, and I bet you my hands, they'll still be selling lots of albums.

You think you're important because no-one knows any of the bands you're into. Thing is, there's a big reason for that, and its NOT because you're better than everyone else.

"...Because my music taste is pretty fucking superior. Give the bands i wank over now, ten years, and i bet you my hands, they'll still be selling lots of albums?"

Lol, dude, get a fucking head check. How many records you sell, or don't sell for that matter, has no bearing on how good a band is. You also cry about how elitism will get you nowhere, but to be honest, your above statement stinks of it.

slagging Biffy off for exactly the same thing the Vines have been accused of for years, sounding exactly like the essence of American alternative rock.
Don't get me wrong, I like The Vines (well, I've not listened to them for years but they're still filed in the 'like' section of my brain). I'd actually say you might get something out of Biffy if you gave them a chance, I reckon a Vines fan would be quite predisposed to liking them...

Its me you're waiting for
You're not allowed to live anymore
And a whole child ago i would sleep all day
doing handstands on bottle bins
to prove that i'm sane
And im not foolin' around!
LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT
I COULD TELL THAT YOU'D BE FLYIN'!

I've mainly stayed on the fringes of this debate, but having listened through about 10 times, this is fantastic. Unashamedly stadium sized and epic, it seriously hits hard. Yeah there are bits which aren't so good, but it's bombastic from start to finish in such a good way. It's gonna be bouncing round my head for years.

9/10 now. Maybe even 9.5. It's grown on me tonnes, and I already liked it in the first place. I'd say Vertigo Of Bliss is better, but only because it's a fucking rollercoaster.

Whereas this is their most consistent album. Better than the last one, and the first one. I hope they sell millions of Puzzle. They deserve it, and they've been threatening to properly break through for a while now. Album of the year for me, bar Modest Mouse.

...but I can't!
Next single MUST be either Who's Got A Match or A Whole Child Ago. Either would be HUUUGGE songs this summer.
BTW everyone, WHEN you buy this album (and I sincerely hope you will buy the album. Illegal downloading kills music!!!!!!) look for the limited edition version with a free dvd (the making of, plus all the videos) and a free poster!

How everyone has gone from "I'm worried about the new album" to: "This is fucking ace". I really like it...and I keep hearing Living Is A Problem...EVERYWHERE! Even when I went in Topshop with my gf it was on! I reckon they're going to make it biiiig. :D

the big fat U-turns everyone is making on this album. And I don't mean that in a condescending / smug way.

The first time I heard this album I knew it would be one of my favourites of all time... I was disheartened by reactions on here and the, now, overwhelming positivity has restored my faith in these here boards.

They were amazing last night in Portsmouth... the new songs are pretty much the best thing to sing along to at a gig. ever.

MAKE SURE YOU GO OUT AND BUY THIS ALBUM ON RELEASE DAY.

Biffy deserve to be huge - let's kick some of this weak indie-schmindie cack outta the charts.